Daily Archives: October 6, 2008

[Source: Phoenix Parks and Conservation Foundation] — City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Director Sara Hensley has accepted the same position with the City of Austin, Texas. Sara came the City when the Parks and Recreation Department was in the midst of one of the most difficult budget times in recent history. According to Tony Motola of the Phoenix Parks and Conservation Foundation, “Sara will be remembered as a Director who always stood up to protect facilities and programs by developing a variety of strong community partnerships. Whether is was empowering her employees, working with the Parks and Recreation Board, supporting the Phoenix Parks and Preserves Initiative, or partnering with the Arizona State University School of Public Affairs as a public administration practitioner and instructor, Sara always made the interests of parks and recreation users in Phoenix her top priority.”

The move to Austin is a homecoming for Sara as she returns to the city where she began her Parks and Recreation career over twenty years ago. Her last day at the City of Phoenix will be November 14, 2008.

[Source: Associated Press] — The federal government recently announced it is giving $1 million to Arizona to launch a study of proposed new passenger rail service between Phoenix and Tucson, but whether the state can come up with a matching $1 million is a question mark. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

[Source: Nate Berg, Planetizen] — An artist recently drew an interpretation of a speech by author Richard Florida about the “creative class,” competition between cities and the importance of place. Click on the graphic above to see the drawing, which tracks Florida’s ideas about how cities can embrace their individual strengths and compete in an increasingly globalized world. [Note: To read the full story, click here.]